


Domestic Argument

by lala_pipo



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, a little angsty...but just a bit, emo Jonghyun, grown up relationships, it's really domestic, puppies...because who doesn't love puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:00:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8780530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lala_pipo/pseuds/lala_pipo
Summary: For a second Jonghyun thought that the saying that dogs resembled their owners might be more accurate than he initially had thought. While Kibum always followed the latest fashion trends and dressed to impress, Jonghyun only put on fashionable clothes if he had no other choice. He preferred comfy hoodies and sweatpants over anything else.However, it wasn’t just in their looks, but also their characters seemed similar, exposing their different lifestyles all too clearly. Kkomde’s and Garçons’s were very extroverted, greeted every stranger happily, and barked when they were unhappy about something. Roo on the other hand was very shy, avoided strangers at all cost and rarely made a sound. She had even been scared of the toy poodles Kibum had brought home three years ago, always hiding under the desk in Jonghyun’s home office when they were near. It had taken the dachshund almost a month to accept the agile puppies as her new little brothers. She was cautious of everyone around her just like Jonghyun was.





	

"Really?“  
  
  
There was the clicking sound of a door falling into its lock before Jonghyun could hear footsteps shuffle over the laminate in the neighboring room. He looked up from his laptop and pushed a pair of big black framed glasses up his nose, eyes curiously observing the scenario in front of the slightly ajar door leading to his home office.  
  
“I made you a short list with stuff that needs to be done…and you did nothing at all. _Again_. Are you serious?”  
  
The voice coming from the kitchen was louder now, causing even Roo – Jonghyun’s little dachshund – to lift her head out of her basket, which was placed beneath her owner’s desk. Jonghyun pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes for a second, a sigh falling from his lips. He knew he had forgotten something. _Again_. There was some rustling of bags followed by the noises of tiny claws padding along the flooring.  
  
“It’s not like I ask much of you, right? You are at home all day, and you can’t even manage to vacuum clean the floor and empty the dishwasher while I’m at work.”  
  
Jonghyun heard something being placed way too forcefully onto a solid surface, making him flinch in surprise. He bit his lip and decided to get up from his swivel chair, cautiously sticking his head out of the door, seeing his boyfriend in the kitchen, his two toy poodles – Kkomde and Garçons – dancing around his feet.  
  
“I’m sorry, I forgot,” Jonghyun piped up, and knelt down when Kibum’s dogs heard his voice and excitedly came up to him, wagging their tiny tails. While he patted his little four legged housemates’ curly fur he looked over at his two legged housemate who massaged his temples and pursed his lips disapprovingly.  
  
Kibum looked tired, a common occurrence in the past few months, something Jonghyun had unwillingly become used to seeing. Ever since Kibum had been promoted to be the chief editor of the lifestyle magazine he worked for, he was constantly tense, always on the edge. Sometimes he worked fourteen hours a day, and Jonghyun only saw him when he woke up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, because most of the time he didn’t notice when Kibum came to bed or when he left it.  
  
“Jonghyun, you always forget the simplest things. It’s not like I asked you to go out of the house. All you had to do was to leave your fucking hermit cave for once and clean the floor from all of your dog’s hair. It’s fucking everywhere.”  
  
Jonghyun knew that Kibum didn’t mean it. It was the stress and the lack of sleep that made him sound like a dictator. Nonetheless, he didn’t like to be talked to like this, didn’t like it when people raised their voices around him.  
  
“I already said I’m sorry, okay? What else do you want?”  
  
There was an affected laugh coming from Kibum who shook his head as if he couldn’t believe the other’s words.  
  
“It would be nice if you could actually contribute to maintaining the household. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for,” he then said and hastily unpacked groceries from the plastic bags on the kitchen counter to place them into the fridge next to him.  
  
“I was writing,” Jonghyun said in his defense and stood up again, knowing all too well that this argument wasn’t worth anything in Kibum’s eyes.  
  
“So was I, and despite that I still managed to pick up the dry cleaning after working for eleven hours straight, did grocery shopping, and went to the bank to pay our bills. Thank you very much.”  
  
Kibum sounded extremely angry, handling the fruits in his hands as if they had committed a terrible crime. Jonghyun pulled the sleeves of his oversized gray hoodie over his hands, looking down at his feet when he heard little paws waddle over the floor, seeing Roo’s small body coming into view. She seemed tiny and a little unkempt next to Kibum’s well-groomed toy poodles who looked like they attended beauty competitions for dogs on a regular basis.  
  
For a second Jonghyun thought that the saying that dogs resembled their owners might be more accurate than he initially had thought. While Kibum always followed the latest fashion trends and dressed to impress, Jonghyun only put on fashionable clothes if he had no other choice. He preferred comfy hoodies and sweatpants over anything else.  
  
However, it wasn’t just in their looks, but also their characters seemed similar, exposing their different lifestyles all too clearly. Kkomde’s and Garçons’s were very extroverted, greeted every stranger happily, and barked when they were unhappy about something. Roo on the other hand was very shy, avoided strangers at all cost and rarely made a sound. She had even been scared of the toy poodles Kibum had brought home three years ago, always hiding under the desk in Jonghyun’s home office when they were near. It had taken the dachshund almost a month to accept the agile puppies as her new little brothers. She was cautious of everyone around her just like Jonghyun was.  
  
“You don’t understand,” Jonghyun sighed and picked up Roo from the floor, fondling her behind her ears. Stroking the soft fur always had a calming effect on him. Writing articles couldn’t be compared to writing novels. Magazines only entertained a person for a short period of time, made waiting easier while commuting or sitting at the hairdresser. They were carelessly consumed by the masses, simple throw away literature, but novels were written to leave an imprint, to make the readers reflect on their lives, to let them escape from reality for a while. Jonghyun had always been a fan of writing, starting from book reports in elementary school to his first own short story in middle school. His hobby had become his profession, and this profession had ultimately led to his downfall.  
  
“Yeah, I really don’t understand. Your artistic Nazism exceeds my profane view of the world. I don’t spend all day with pondering over the meaning of life and what my place in this world is. I actually go into the world and do something instead of only thinking about it,” Kibum hissed, slamming the door of the refrigerator shut. In response Jonghyun nibbled on his bottom lip, stroking Roo’s fur a little more intensely.  
  
“Why are you like this?” he asked a little intimidated and dropped his gaze. He had never dealt well with confrontation and usually avoided it at all cost. He had already hated it when his parents had constantly fought while he still had been in kindergarten, and had hid beneath a blanket together with his older sister in their shared room, and he still hated it now when Kibum was angry at him, and usually backtracked into the safety of his home office, staying in it until the other had calmed down.  
  
“Why am I like this?” The volume of Kibum’s voice made the little toy poodles raise their voices as well, a wave of small barks echoing through the spacious apartment while Roo hid her snout into the crook of her owner’s arm, and for a moment Jonghyun wasn’t sure if it was his pet who shivered or if it was him.  
  
“Jonghyun, I’m working my ass off and have to deal with incompetent people all day. The only thing I want in my life is to come home to a nice and clean environment. Is that too much to ask for? You were against a housecleaner, because you didn’t want your privacy disturbed by some stranger, but you also don’t make any effort to make this look like our home at all. It’s exhausting, Jonghyun. It really is.”  
  
Jonghyun saw the other’s shoulders slouching, and just like his partner’s voice the barking of his dogs broke off.  
  
“I’m doing it tomorrow, I promise. Please, let’s not fight over petty things like this,” Jonghyun tried to intervene, hoping for a peaceful settlement. A deep sigh left Kibum’s lips as he shook his head, one hand diving through his black, back-combed hair.  
  
“You are saying this since over a year, but nothing’s changing. I don’t know what to do with you anymore. Have you at least showered today?”  
  
He hadn’t, Jonghyun realized after he thought about it for a second, and crooked his head a little to sniff himself.  
  
“I’m trying, okay. I’m really trying,” Jonghyun answered pitifully, and hugged his little dog a little closer to his chest.  
  
For a moment Kibum said nothing at all and only looked at the other hopelessly, making Jonghyun feel quite uncomfortable in his own skin.  
  
“I need some time to myself, okay? Please don’t forget to eat again. There are left-overs in the fridge. You only need to heat them up in the microwave. Also please be so kind and feed the puppies, okay?”  
  
Kibum’s voice was calmer now as if he had realized that it didn’t help to yell at Jonghyun but only made things worse.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“To bed,” was all Kibum responded before he went straight to the bedroom, silently closing the door behind himself. Jonghyun looked at the closed door for a moment, the nail of his forefinger scratching along the skin of his thumb. He looked a little lost, standing in the middle of the wide living room bordering to the open kitchen, two dogs in front of him and the third one on his arm.  
  
It was not even ten, Jonghyun noticed after casting a short glance at the clock hanging over the fridge, a guilty conscience arising in him. Kibum was right and didn’t deserve to be constantly confronted with the failure that his boyfriend was.  
  
Jonghyun hadn’t been like this when they had first met as freshmen at university, both taking Korean literature as their major. He had been enthusiastic, joyful, funny and full with the thirst of action, charming his way into Kibum’s heart during a boring student party. Both had been bored out of their mind during that night, had climbed up to the roof of the student’s dormitory at Jonghyun’s suggestion, and had talked about literature while getting drunk on beer. The night had ended with them all over each other, hands grabbing disheveled hair, lips entangled in sloppy kisses, and bodies pressed closely together.  
  
Eight years had passed since then and while Kibum had found a position as an editor at a magazine for cooking right after graduation, Jonghyun had been signed on a small publishing house that had released his first novel ‘ _The boy who didn’t want to grow up_ ’, a coming of age story that had been quite successful and had brought Jonghyun a prestigious newcomer award as a writer. They had been happy back then, had bought a flat together and Jonghyun had adopted Roo as a puppy from a dog shelter to make their little family complete. Everything had been perfect until Jonghyun had started to suffer from a writer’s block two years ago. No matter what he tried, it seemed like the words betrayed him, not making sense when he typed them down, mocking him. Everything he wrote didn’t seem to be good enough anymore, didn’t live up to his standards. While Kibum had climbed up the career ladder steadily, changing from smaller magazines to bigger ones, Jonghyun had stayed stuck in his little bubble and hadn’t been able to deal with the pressure from the publishing house, resulting in him being laid off after not having finished a single story in over a year.  
  
The once joyful character had been overshadowed by self-doubt and existential fear then, sitting all day in his home office, forcing himself to write down something… _anything_ , sometimes staring at a blank screen for hours before typing a single sentence.  
  
“Okay, let’s get you something to eat,” Jonghyun announced after pondering over what to do, and walked over to the fridge to take out some regular dog food for Kkomde and Garçons and some diet food for Roo since she had become a little chubby around the middle in the past few months, making it look quite funny when she shuffled around on her short legs. It was fascinating how she continued to gain weight while he continued to lose it.  
  
When the three dogs happily munched on their food next to each other, Jonghyun’s look went over to the closed bedroom door again, fingers nervously tapping on the kitchen counter. He should apologize, but he knew Kibum well enough to realize that this wasn’t the right time for it. If Kibum said he needed some time to himself, Jonghyun respected that. After years of living together one came to understand when it was time to stay silent and give the other some space.  
  
Silently he walked back to his office, throwing a glance at all the books he had collected over the past few years, all aligned perfectly in white shelves, which he and Kibum had set up around the room right after they had moved in together, making the room look like a small library. As he sat back down a sigh left his lips and he looked to the corner of the opened document on his computer that told him that he barely had written 300 words today. He ruffled his hair in frustration and took off his glasses to press his palms against the sockets of his eyes, letting his head sink back, trying to think of nothing at all.  
  
By now his writer’s block didn’t only affect his career negatively but also his relationship with Kibum. He was quite sure the other couldn’t keep up living with him forever if he acted as selfish as he currently did, the thought making Jonghyun’s heart clench uncomfortably. The last thing he wanted was to see Kibum unhappy because of him.  
  
He stayed in his little office past midnight, the three dogs squeezed into Roo’s basket beneath the desk to accompany him, soundly asleep, Kkomde’s left forepaw twitching slightly while he slept. It took Jonghyun all his willpower to finally turn off the computer and to accept the fact that he wouldn’t write anything life changing that day anymore. Instead he went to the bathroom to take a shower and walked over to the bedroom naked after he was finished, softly opening the door to see his partner lying in bed with his satin pajamas on, an iPad in his lap and a half filled wine glass in his hand. Jonghyun swallowed when Kibum looked up, the light of the tablet casting a bluish glow onto his face.  
  
“Can I come in?” he asked carefully, still holding the door handle in his hand to retreat as fast as possible if the storm hadn’t fully settled yet.  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Kibum placed the iPad and the wine glass next to him on the nightstand while Jonghyun wandered through the bedside lamp illuminated room to settle down beneath the white blanket covering the king-sized bed, scooting over to his partner until he could rest his head on the other’s shoulder.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he whispered then, looping one arm around the other’s pajama clad form, pressing a kiss against Kibum’s neck.  
  
“I’m worried about you, _Jjong._ ”  
  
“I know,” Jonghyun sighed, his hand wandering down to the hem of Kibum’s pajama shirt, slipping beneath it to stroke the soft, warm skin of the other’s tummy.  
  
“Did you eat?” Kibum asked then, causing Jonghyun to bite his bottom lip, the gesture being enough of an answer to his partner. “You’ve lost so much weight. Remember when we were still in university and you went to the gym regularly and were constantly hungry? Back then you could easily lift me and throw me around if you wanted to. I doubt…”  
  
“I could still do that now,” Jonghyun interrupted decisively and let go of the other to scramble on top of him in the next second, pushing the other’s legs apart with his knee. The satin of Kibum’s pajamas felt cold against his naked skin, making him shiver slightly.  
  
“You know that I love you, right?” Kibum said then, stroking a strand of wet brown hair behind Jonghyun’s ear before taking off the other’s glasses, placing them onto the nightstand as well.  
  
“You do?” Jonghyun automatically asked, the contours of Kibum’s face now slightly fuzzy around the edges. He had given up on wearing contacts after they had started to irritate his eyes, causing them to look red and puffy all the time. Unfortunately his partner wasn’t the biggest fan of his glasses, always telling him that they hid his pretty eyes and made him look older than he was.  
  
“Of course I do, silly.” Kibum’s voice was soft now and carried a lot of warmth. This warmness was one of the reasons he had fallen for the other so many years ago. At first glance Kibum could come off as a little narcissist, arrogant and bossy, as someone who loved to throw shade at people, but after taking a closer look at him one realized quickly what a kindhearted and generous person he actually was.  
  
“I’m sorry for not doing the things you asked me to.”  
  
Jonghyun lay down then, cheek resting at the level of Kibum’s belly button, hands placed on either side of the other’s body. His partner didn’t respond anything and only stroked his hair softly, the light touch making Jonghyun sleepy.  
  
“I miss that,” Kibum suddenly spoke up, making Jonghyun prick up his ear.  
  
“What exactly is _that_?”  
  
“Lying in bed with you, talking, and stroking your hair…doing nothing basically. I miss that. I’ve been too busy lately, I’m sorry about that.”  
  
Jonghyun replied with a mere hum, eyes closed, enjoying the coziness of snuggling into the other’s body. Kibum was right. He missed this as well. It didn’t matter if you only had started dating recently or if you were in a long-term relationship, sometimes one just had to feel the closeness of their partner’s body, breathe in their scent, and listen to their heartbeat. They lay silently on their bed for a bit, Kibum’s fingers softly caressing Jonghyun’s hair and the shell of his ear while the other slowly dozed off, the gentle touches lulling him in.  
  
“Jonghyun?”  
  
Jonghyun frowned slightly, and smacked his lips, peering up at the other through one tiny eye.  
  
“Are you tired?” Kibum asked then, fingers gliding down to the short hair in Jonghyun’s neck. The other answered with an almost unnoticeable nod, a lazy smile grazing his lips.  
  
“How tired?”  
  
Jonghyun saw the other tip his head slightly to the side, eyeing him curiously, the fingers in his neck now moving deeper to his shoulder, massaging him lightly.  
  
“Why?” his words came out sounding almost like a slur, eyes falling shut again.  
  
“I…I mean…we haven’t had sex for a while with me being constantly away and stuff,” Kibum then explained in more detail, Jonghyun’s eyes instantly opening again. They rarely had sex these days, not just because of Kibum’s work. When they first got together they had basically taken any chance to get intimate, and had not been able to keep their hands off each other. But their relationship had matured over the span of eight years, and now there were more important things on their minds than just sex; adult things like paying bills and making a living. Sometimes a month passed without them being close, and it wasn’t like they weren’t attracted to each other anymore, but sex just wasn’t a priority anymore.  
  
They had to be in the right mood for it.  
  
“Are you horny?” Jonghyun asked frankly, placing his chin on the other’s belly again. There was a light shrug from Kibum’s direction before his fingertips stroked along Jonghyun’s upper arm.  
  
“I just think it would help us both to relax a bit.”  
  
Jonghyun hummed in approval before he moved his body up and propped himself up on his hands, face inching closer to the other’s until it was in close proximity to Kibum’s.  
  
“Hey,” he said with a sheepish grin, leaning closer when Kibum responded his smile while his fingers slid down Jonghyun’s back. They rarely made out nowadays, short pecks on the lips in between _Hellos_ and _Goodbyes_ being a more common practice. Therefore kissing felt a little awkward at first, Jonghyun placing his lips here and there, testing, tongue swiping over his partner’s bottom lip before he actually went for an open mouthed kiss, the feeling foreign and yet all too familiar.  
  
He used one of his hands to slip it between their bodies, stroking down Kibum’s torso, and letting it disappear beneath the waistband of his pajama pants. Jonghyun tried his best to get the other in the right mood and himself as well, teeth playfully nipping at his partner’s jaw and neck, Kibum’s back arching slightly when he started to caress him between his legs.  
  
“You like that?” Jonghyun breathed against the other’s skin, grinning in amusement when he could hear a slight huff close to his ear.  
  
“You know I do,” was the short reply, and Jonghyun felt the other’s hands grab his butt in a firm grip next, fingers kneading his flesh, pressing him a little closer to Kibum.  
  
Jonghyun liked to fool around like this, but he felt tired and unfocused, a yawn wanting to escape his lips every few seconds, limbs feeling heavy. He shook his head quickly, and blinked several times before he tried to concentrate back on his partner, involving him in another kiss, hand sliding up and down the other’s hardening length.  
  
“You’re still limp,” Kibum noticed in surprise when one of his hands found its way between their bodies after a few minutes of lazy kisses and touches. A little flustered Jonghyun bit on his bottom lip, looking down at the other apologetically.  
  
“I’m just a little tired,” he managed to say, a low hum escaping Kibum’s lips before a canny grin started to outline his lips.  
  
“Tired you say? Let me see what we can do about that.”  
  
With a pat of his hand on the mattress Kibum beckoned the other to lie down next to him, Jonghyun following the request without uttering a single word. He lay down on his back, smiling at his partner when said one winked at him fondly and climbed above him, placing a chaste kiss on Jonghyun’s lips before he scrambled down, placing gentle displays of affection along the older one’s chest and stomach. A heavy sigh left the older one’s mouth as he nestled deeper into the softness of the sheets, eyes closed, hands lazily lying next to him on the mattress. The bed was cozy and Kibum’s ministration had the opposite effect of what they were supposed to achieve. Instead of feeling aroused Jonghyun felt sleepier by the second and he fell asleep before Kibum had even wrapped his lips around him.  
  
When Jonghyun woke up daylight already flooded the room, rays of sunshine reaching the bed, casting a ray of light onto his face. The side next to him was empty, he realized when he stretched out an arm with a loud yawn, slowly blinking his eyes. He felt something holding his legs down when he tried to pull them closer to his body and when he tiredly lifted his head he noticed Roo lying on his legs, curled up into a ball, her tiny head looking up when she felt her owner move beneath her.  
  
“Hey,” he only grumbled in a sleepy voice, waving his hand at her shortly, the tail of the tiny dog immediately starting to wag before she got up and waddled up to Jonghyun, stopping shortly in front of his face, her snout darting out, sniffing her owner’s face. A tiny smile appeared on Jonghyun’s face and he gently pulled the dog closer to his chest, hugging the little Dachshund who yielded without any resistance.  
  
“Did Kibum let you in again? Will he ever stick to his own rule of no dogs in the bedroom?” Jonghyun said in a tiny voice, fondling his dog behind its ears before letting go of it. He sat up with a loud yawn and stretched his arms up in the air before scratching his chest absentmindedly. Only after looking at the empty place next to him once again did Jonghyun realize that he had fallen asleep on Kibum last night, a soft blush creeping onto his face.  
  
There was only so much Kibum’s ego could take, and Jonghyun felt sorry for spoiling yet another promising evening. With a sigh he kneaded his shoulder, head rolling from one side to the other with a cracking sound. The possibility of the other being angry at him again made him uncomfortable and he bit his lip in thought, trying to come up with something to lift up the other’s mood.  
  
“I should clean this place up, shouldn’t I?”  
  
He threw a questioning look down at Roo who only tilted her tiny head to the side, causing Jonghyun to mimic the action with a pout.  
  
“Yeah, you are right. I should get dressed properly and clean this place.”  
  
Jonghyun nodded to his dog as if Roo had been the one giving him the idea of trying to act like a normal functioning human being before he pushed the bed covers aside and scrambled out of the bed, rummaging through his wardrobe before settling for black skinny jeans and a loose white T-shirt. It wasn’t anything special but a definite upgrade compared to his usual attire consisting of sweatpants and sweatshirts.  
  


 

He tried his best to oblige to Kibum’s request of tidying up their apartment, made the bed first, then vacuum cleaned the floor, and placed all the dog toys in one corner, which wasn’t a complete success, because Roo immediately started to dig through everything and fished a small squeaking frog, a cat plushie, a bone, a chewing toy in form of sushi Kibum had brought from a business trip to Japan, and a ball successively out of the pile, spreading everything all over the living room. Not having the heart to scold his beloved dog he ended up on the white fluffy carpet next to their couch and played fetch with Roo instead, a small smile appearing on his lips when his dog dashed through the apartment on her tiny legs. They were really a lot alike, they even shared the disadvantage of a small body with short legs.  
  
After procrastinating for at least an hour by playing with his dog, Jonghyun got up again to empty the dishwasher and do the laundry, hanging everything up on a drying rack in his little office to let it dry afterwards. It was already past four when he decided to take Roo out to go shopping for dinner after he realized their fridge missed ingredients for making Kibum’s favorite spaghetti sauce. It was the only thing he properly knew how to cook, so he overcame his own insecurities and left the house with Roo in tow, walking to the small supermarket at the end of the street. There was always some sort of discomfort tugging at his tummy whenever he was forced to leave the house by himself, his little dog close to his side only a small comfort. It was loud, hot, and there were way too many people for his liking, his posture crouching, his face hidden behind a pulled down baseball cap.  
  
Sometimes he missed the days when he had felt happy and comfortable outside, times when facing people hadn’t been a problem for him. The less a person went outside to face the real world the more comfortable they became in their own self-created reality, dwelling in their isolation without paying any attention to what happened outside their own four walls. Jonghyun was certain that he wouldn’t ever leave their apartment again if it wasn’t for Kibum’s sake.  
  
He prepared dinner for eight, sending Kibum a text beforehand to ask him when he’d be home. However, eight came and so did nine, but Kibum didn’t show up, the spaghetti soggy and the sauce cold by then, Jonghyun lying on the couch with Roo on his chest, playing absentmindedly with her floppy ears.  
  
“Do you think he’s really angry at me?”  
  
Jonghyun looked up at his dog who had placed its head on its paws, looking at him through big, dark eyes.  
  
“I mean stuff like this happens, right? We’re not teenagers anymore after all.”  
  
He tried to tell himself while looking at his dog, head falling back with a sigh when the anticipated answer failed to appear.  
  
“Whoever claimed that relationships get easier the longer you stay together clearly lied.”  
  
With that being said Jonghyun lifted his dog and sat up, placing Roo next to him on the couch. By the time he checked the clock again it was almost ten and he tugged on his skinny jeans, feeling quite uncomfortable in them. He wanted to go back to comfy sweatpants that didn’t feel like they cut off the blood circulation in his crotch, but didn’t dare to in case Kibum showed up in the next few minutes.  
  
It was past midnight when Kibum finally came home, Jonghyun faintly snoring on the couch, and only starting from his slumber when the other’s toy poodles licked his hand hanging from the sofa.  
  
“You cooked?”  
  
When Jonghyun opened his eyes he stared straight up at Kibum who stood next to him, wearing a white dress shirt, a blue blazer casually draped over his shoulders. The older one sat up immediately, trying to straighten his wrinkled T-shirt with his hands.  
  
“Yeah,” was the only thing he managed to say before he looked over his shoulder, throwing a glance at the pitiful looking dinner on their oak table.  
  
“You also cleaned up.”  
  
Jonghyun couldn’t really interpret the tone in the other’s voice who looked around their apartment with a neutral expression. Because he didn’t know what to respond he only nodded and leaned down to cradle two little, fluffy heads, his fingers gliding through the tiny curls of fur.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
There was a small smile on Kibum’s lips, his voice softer than the last time he had come home from work. Kibum went to the table then, placed his bright red messenger bag on one of the chairs and took a spoon, dipping it into the pan with the cold sauce.  
  
“Don’t eat it. It’s cold already,” Jonghyun tried to protest, but Kibum had already leaned down, leading the spoon to his mouth. He stayed silent for a moment, eyes looking up at the ceiling in thought, smacking his lips.  
  
“It’s good, a little salty still, but definitely better than the last time,” Kibum stated finally and gave Jonghyun a thumbs up before walking into the direction of the bathroom.  
  
“I’m taking a quick shower. Can you feed the puppies?”  
  
Kibum behaved like the previous night hadn’t even occurred and Jonghyun wasn’t quite sure if the other really didn’t mind or if everything was just an act, a play to hide his chipped self-esteem.  
  
After taking his time to feed the little furry monsters and clean up the table he followed the other into the bathroom, the shower slightly fogged, water pattering onto the floor, his partner’s back turned towards him. Jonghyun leaned against the sink, watching the other for a moment before finding the courage to actually talk to him.  
  
“Are you mad at me because of last night? I really didn’t want to fall asleep, I’m sorry about that.”  
  
It took a moment before Kibum turned around and combed his wet hair back with both hands, looking at him in thought.  
  
“I was mad last night, but today,” the other stopped for a second, seemingly looking for the right words. “I don’t know…I’m worried, I guess,” he ended his sentence then and turned off the shower.  
  
“Worried? Why?”  
  
Jonghyun handed him a big, fluffy, white towel when he exited the shower, watching him as he dabbed it carefully onto his wet skin.  
  
“We’ve become one of these couples I always hated when I was a teenager. We basically became like my parents. Just the thought gives me the creeps.” Kibum shuddered slightly as if he wanted to make a point, tied the towel around his hips and took a second smaller towel from the cabinet next to the sink to dry his dark hair.  
  
“But your parents are sweet, kind and loveable. How is that a bad thing?”  
  
“How is that a bad thing? We’re acting like a couple who is married since thirty years, Jjong. There is no passion, no adventure, and no sex left. One party nags all the time and the other tries to wash their hands in innocence by basically doing nothing at all.”  
  
Kibum ruffled the white towel over his head, his black bangs flying through the air, making him look like his younger, cute, and cheeky university-self again. The younger had gone through a lot of hairstyle changes over the years before he had decided that black hair suited him best for business purposes.  
  
“You’re exaggerating.”  
  
Jonghyun crossed his arms in front of his chest while watching the other place the towel around his neck, and combing his hair, which automatically turned him back into his adult version again.  
  
“Okay…when was the last time we had sex outside of our bedroom?” Kibum asked then, taking one of his face creams from the cupboard, and placing small dots of white substance on several places in his face.  
  
Jonghyun thought this question over for a moment, squinting his eyes, and pursing his lips.  
  
“See? That you have to think about it tells me…that it has been too long.”  
  
“Didn’t we have sex on the swivel chair in my office a while ago?” Jonghyun pointed out in thought, turning his head from one side to the other.  
  
“That was over eight months ago,” Kibum sighed, dabbing the crème carefully into his skin.  
  
“Really?” There was surprise written all over Jonghyun’s face. “Time sure flies by quickly.”  
  
“Okay, then when was the last time we had sex in general?”  
  
Jonghyun already wanted to open his mouth to give an answer when he realized that he couldn’t quite remember their last time.  
  
“See, we haven’t even reached our thirties yet, but act like two old, gay, impotent men in their seventies.”  
  
“Kibum, there are far more important things than sex in a relationship.”  
  
Another sigh left Kibum’s lips before he took his body lotion and turned around, placing one of his legs on the edge of their bathtub.  
  
“I know you are right, but my body won’t get any better than this, you know. I reached my peak and it will only go downhill from here on. What’s going to happen if I get my first wrinkles, lose my hair and gain some belly fat? You know how easily I put on weight if I don’t watch what I eat. You won’t look at me at all then?”  
  
Kibum started to rub body lotion on his legs while Jonghyun moved over to him and settled down next to him.  
  
“You are talking nonsense, Kibum. You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and I will still think that way when you are old, chubby and bald.”  
  
“Honestly, I’m not so sure about that. A few years ago I wouldn’t have been able to put on some lotion let alone take a shower without you trying to seduce me, and now look at you…you don’t seem to care at all that I’m basically standing naked right next to you, freshly showered, smelling of the peach shower gel you like so much.”  
  
A low chuckle left Jonghyun’s lips and he placed his right hand onto Kibum’s glistening shin, letting his hand glide over it.  
  
“Same goes for you. You haven’t even noticed that I actually put on some proper clothes for once.”  
  
“Of course I noticed. Who do you think I am?” Kibum sounded slightly offended while putting on some lotion on his chest and arms, Jonghyun attentively following his every move. The other might have been right. No matter how beautiful he thought Kibum looked, he had stopped telling him that a long time ago. Jonghyun had used to be the type of boyfriend most people probably wished for, always paying attention to details, making thoughtful compliments, and surprising Kibum with small gifts every now and then. But just as his self-doubts had increased over the years so had his cheesy side shrunk to the size of a peanut. Maybe he really had started to take his relationship for granted? As something that was given to him without the need to do something for it?  
  
“How about a massage before sleeping?” Jonghyun suggested suddenly, Kibum looking down at him in doubt.  
  
“I know that you love them,” the older added with a smile and stood up from the bathtub, caressing the other’s shoulder while passing him on the way out. He went straight to their bedroom and took off his jeans when he got there, a sigh of relief leaving his lips at the feeling of freedom engulfing his legs. After he sat down on the bed, he scrambled over to Kibum’s side, leaning over the edge to open the bedside drawer. He found the vanilla oil he had been looking for right away, took it out with a triumphant grin, and sat down on the mattress cross-legged.  
  
It took Kibum another five minutes to show up in their bedroom and close the door behind himself after shooing the dogs away. He still wore the white towel around his hips, his pale skin glistening with lotion. Jonghyun patted the mattress next to him, a small smile appearing on his lips when Kibum came up to the bed and sat down.  
  
“Lie down and let me help you to relax.”  
  
“Work your magic then,” Kibum replied a little teasingly before he lay down on his tummy, bedding his head on his folded arms.  
  
“That’s so not professional,” he huffed when Jonghyun climbed over him in the next moment, and settled down on his upper thighs, using his partner’s buttocks as drums. The other didn’t respond to this comment and dabbled some of the oil into his palm instead, warming it up between his hands before starting to massage his partner’s shoulders who gave a little groan as soon as Jonghyun started to work his way through the tension in his body.  
  
“Your shoulders are as hard as stone.”  
  
“Work.”  
  
“Then you should work less, Kibum.”  
  
“I wished it was that easy.”  
  
There was a sigh coming from Kibum, which made Jonghyun feel pity for his partner. He knew the other loved his job, but he wondered if overworking yourself was really worth it. His hands made their way down along Kibum’s back, kneading here, stroking there, following a specific pattern he had acquired over the years. Back then when both of them still had been in university they often had massaged each other as some sort of foreplay, Jonghyun not being able to hold back for long when the other lay in front of him naked like that. It was fascinating how accustomed one could get to the sight of seeing someone naked. A fond smile appeared on Jonghyun’s lips as he pressed his thumbs down to the small of Kibum’s back, kneading the flesh in a circular motion.  
  
A little later he moved down to the other’s thighs, sliding down Kibum’s legs before massaging the inner sides, pushing them apart a little with his knee. He could see the other’s butt peeping out from beneath the towel as he pushed it upwards a bit, the soft curve reminding him of all the things he had done with it in the past.  
  
“You’ve got a bruise here. What happened?” Jonghyun pointed out as his fingers gently caressed a bluish, slightly greenish uneven patch of skin on the back of Kibum’s thigh.  
  
“Probably bumped against something at work,” Kibum commented flatly, shrugging his shoulders. Jonghyun hummed in response, strangely fascinated by the contrast between the bruise and Kibum’s skin, tracing it with his fingertip. It vaguely reminded him of the hickeys he had given Kibum during their first few months of dating, the younger one always slightly annoyed when he had found a new one while checking himself in the mirror. To Jonghyun it had felt like marking his territory and he had only stopped giving them after he had read a shocking article about the possible aftereffects of hickeys on the internet.  
  
“Have I actually ever told you…that you were the first and for that matter also last person I said I love you to?”  
  
“Yeah, but only about three thousand times.” Kibum’s voice sounded slightly mocking, Jonghyun looking up when the other turned around beneath him, a smile displayed on his lips.  
  
“Come here.”  
  
Kibum stretched his arms out, waving the other over with his fingers, pulling him into a hug when Jonghyun moved up to him.  
  
“You are hard,” Jonghyun noticed with amusement as he sank down on the other’s body, his head nestled into the crook of Kibum’s neck, a whiff of vanilla reaching his nostrils.  
  
“Oh, you know how much I love massages. I’m like Pavlov’s dog. Over the years my brain started to associate massages with sex. So it’s your fault, you conditioned me perfectly,” Kibum whispered back, tightening his grip around Jonghyun’s waist.  
  
“Should I suck you off then?” Jonghyun’s nose ran along Kibum’s neck who shivered beneath him, fingers tugging at the other’s T-shirt.  
  
“You don’t have to, if you are not up for it.”  
  
Jonghyun gave the other a kiss for an answer, sucking slightly at his bottom lip while his hand moved down to the towel sitting on Kibum’s hips and untied it before his palm wandered over the other’s erection, a soft moan leaving his partner’s mouth. Even if Jonghyun failed to function as a proper human being most of the time, he knew how to give head after practicing on Kibum for years, his mouth turning the other into a quivering mess in no time.  
  
Experience had taught him what he had to do to make the other almost speechless for at least some minutes during the day, nothing but _‘Fuck’, ‘Yes’, ‘Oh god’, ‘Yes, yes…that’s good_ ’ falling from Kibum’s pretty lips, the words only varying in tone and volume.  
  
Kibum held onto his hair, legs spread out around him, chest heaving erratically, eyes tightly closed. Jonghyun loved watching him like this, seeing the other let loose, leaving him in control. It was something Kibum rarely did, giving up control. He worked his lips and tongue around the other’s shaft, trying to take him in as deep as possible while his left hand took the base, his free hand caressing Kibum’s stomach and thigh.  
  
Being in a relationship for that long had trained Jonghyun for all the signs of the other’s approaching orgasm, he could see it in the sudden rash on the other’s chest, and in the way his abdomen started to twitch unrhythmically, he felt it in the way Kibum’s grip tightened in his hair, and in the way his lips puckered up.  
  
Kibum came with a long stretched moan, biting his lip and holding onto Jonghyun’s head as he used the other’s mouth to spread his semen. The older almost gagged for a moment when Kibum pulled him closer, feeling warm liquid filling up his mouth. He swallowed it right away before releasing the other’s erection, licking the last drops of cum from the tip before letting it settle against Kibum’s stomach, the younger one looking at him through glassy eyes.  
  
“That was good…like really good. Thanks,” he breathed heavily and stroked his damp hair with an exhausted but satisfied grin.  
  
“See, I still know what I’m doing. We aren’t in our seventies after all,” Jonghyun babbled as he came to lie down next to Kibum again, bedding his chin on the other’s shoulder. A low laugh left the other’s lips before he nodded and tousled Jonghyun’s hair, Jonghyun suddenly feeling better about himself again. Seeing the other relaxed and with a smile on his face was his biggest reward.  
  
“Do you want me to return the favor?”  
  
“No, I’m perfectly fine with just watching you,” Jonghyun declined the offer with a smile, making the other raise his eyebrows in bewilderment.  
  
“It seems that there is still some cheesiness left in you after all.”  
  
“Apparently.”  
  
Jonghyun leaned over then, placing a soft kiss onto Kibum’s forehead.  
  
“I’m sorry for being the way I am,” he whispered, kissing his partner on the nose and his cheeks before he halted and looked down at the other’s face.  
  
“But every day I’m thankful for having you beside me. It might not seem like it when I hide in my office and forget about you or your requests, because I’m in my own little world, but you are the most important person in my life, and I don’t want to change what we have for anything in this world. Even if this means that we are acting like a couple who is married for over thirty years already and doesn’t have steamy, spontaneous and adventurous sex anymore.”  
  
There was a moment of silence in which Kibum tilted his head to the side and stroked Jonghyun’s hair, looking at him in thought.  
  
“I know that, Jjong…I really do, but sometimes it’s just so frustrating that our relationship is not the way it used to be when we were still in university.”  
  
“Because we are not 20 anymore, Kibum. We grew up…there is no need for fucking 24h a day anymore,” Jonghyun explained, his thumbs gliding over the other’s cheeks. The younger one looked at him in doubt, opened his mouth and then closed it again before he licked his lips, fingertips playing with the piercings in Jonghyun’s left ear.  
  
“Are you sure?” Kibum teased then and yelped in the next moment when Jonghyun started to poke his sides.  
  
“Aish…you are such a mood killer. I just confessed my eternal love to you and you make a joke out of it,” Jonghyun protested and started tickling Kibum who began to writhe beneath him, tears forming in the corners of his eyes from laughing.  
  
“I yield, I yield…” he chortled and rose his hands in defense, waving a non-existent white flag, and taking a deep breath when Jonghyun stopped his attack and pinned him down with his hands.  
  
“I love you,” Jonghyun said finally when the other had calmed down and looked up at him.  
  
“You know that I love you, too,” Kibum commented quite naturally, causing a small smile to appear on Jonghyun’s lips.  
  
“Maybe, but it’s good to hear it from time to time as well.”  
  
Kibum smiled up at him before he placed his hands on Jonghyun’s cheeks to pull him down for a kiss. The younger one rolled them over then so he was lying on top of the other, Jonghyun grinning against his lips, wrapping his legs around his hips, and hands sliding around his slender waist.  
  
“I really like that peach smell by the way,” he commented between kisses, nose wandering over Kibum’s cheek to smell the mix of vanilla and peach on him.  
  
“Told you so,” the other remarked casually before pressing another gentle kiss onto Jonghyun’s lips, his tongue pushing its way into the other’s mouth.  
  
There would always be good and bad days, days in which Kibum would be angry at him for living his life the way he did, and days in which Jonghyun would fall asleep even though they had planned something nice together. But there would also be days like this one, days in which they openly talked about their relationship, days in which they tried to deepen their bond.  
  
Relationships were a continuous journey, something one had to work on every day, but no matter how insecure Jonghyun was about his career, his life, and his self, his relationship with Kibum was something he never wanted to lose… _and never wanted to doubt._

**Author's Note:**

> Fan Fiction list can be found [here](http://lala-pipo.livejournal.com/794.html).  
> Fan Fiction tumblr can be found [here](http://lala-pipo.tumblr.com).


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